Some sauna users may be tempted to keep their phones with them for entertainment or communication purposes, it’s important to understand the potential risks and implications of doing so.
Bringing your phone into a sauna is not recommended due to the extreme heat and humidity inside the sauna. Saunas typically exceed the maximum operating temperature of a phone, which can permanently damage the device. Moreover, saunas are meant to be places of relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness, and having a phone can be a distracting element in this serene environment.
Both iPhones and Android phones, despite having waterproof or water-resistant ratings, are not designed to withstand the high temperatures and steam found in saunas. Even if your phone survives the heat, the steam can seep into the device and cause internal damage over time.
In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why taking your phone into a sauna is not advisable and why saunas can be detrimental to the longevity and performance of your phone. Additionally, we’ll address some common FAQs and shed light on the potential risks associated with bringing electronic devices into saunas. So, before you consider keeping your phone with you during your sauna session, it’s essential to understand why saunas are not a suitable environment for your beloved device.
Table of Contents
- Can You Bring Your Phone to the Sauna?
- Can You Take an iPhone in Sauna?
- What About Android Cell Phone in Sauna?
- FAQs
- Conclusion
Can You Bring Your Phone to the Sauna?
You should not take your phone in a sauna because a sauna exceeds the recommended maximum operating temperature of a phone which is 113°F (45°C). The heat and humidity can permanently damage your phone. Moreover, people might object to bringing a device with a camera into a place where everyone is semi-nude. And lastly, a sauna is a place to rest, meditate and practice being mindful. A phone is a distracting element in the environment and most people won’t appreciate you bringing a phone in a sauna.
Some saunas even have clear rules against bringing a smartphone inside a sauna. For instance, King’s Spa allows phones inside the sauna only during emergencies. Here’s what they said about the usage of phones: “Except in the event of an emergency, members/guests may only use their mobile/smartphones outside of the wet spa/locker rooms and dry sauna rooms.”
Can You Take an iPhone in Sauna?
It’s best not to take an iPhone into the sauna. Apple’s latest iPhones (iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13) have an IP68 rating. In other words, the phones can survive underwater for hours. One can say that iPhones would do just fine in humid places like the sauna or steam room but consider the heat and the hot steam. Hot steam affects your phone differently than liquid water.
If you take an iPhone into a sauna, the system will start heating and it will set off the iOS’ temperature warning system. The phone will then switch off temporarily to avoid damage. So you can’t use the phone inside the sauna.
Apple has officially declared that customers should not use iOS devices in baking hot environments. They said: “Using an iOS device in very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life. Store the device where the temperature is between -4º to 113º F (-20º and 45º C). Don’t leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.”
(Image source: The Average Tech Guy from Unsplash)
Taking iPhone 7 in Sauna?
Taking your iPhone 7 into the sauna is not wise. Like many of the latest Apple phones editions, iPhone 7 is also waterproof but it’s not heat-resistant. If you take it into a sauna or an infrared sauna, it’ll get overheated and could become permanently damaged.
What About Android Cell Phone in Sauna?
You can’t use an Android cell phone in the sauna. Sure, many Android phones have a good IP rating meaning you could leave your cell phone in the bath or underwater for a long time and it would still work just fine. But if you expose an Android phone to high temperature, it will shut down and try to cool itself down.
FAQs
Can You Take Your Phone in an Infrared Sauna?
You can’t take your phone in an infrared sauna. The temperature produced by infrared rays inside the infrared saunas is so high that your phone will get overheated and it will be damaged beyond recovery. Moreover, bringing a device with a camera inside a place where most people are semi-nude goes against sauna etiquettes. And a phone is a distracting presence in infrared saunas where most people want to go to relax and meditate.
Can You Take Headphones and SmartWatch in a Sauna?
Headphones are smartwatches are electronic devices and most electronic devices are not heat-resistant nor are they steam-resistant. So avoid bringing headphones or smartwatches to the sauna. We recommend being free of the electronic tether and enjoying the sauna with yourself.
Can You Bring Your Phone Into a Steam Room?
It’s better not to take your phone into the steam room. Your phone might be waterproof or water-resistant, it’s not heat-resistant nor is it steam-resistant. Overheating will destroy your phone. Steam will easily seep into your phone and slowly damage the device from the inside.
Q. Can the Sauna Damage Your Phone?
A. Yes, the sauna can damage your phone. The heat inside a sauna can cause the internal elements of your to expand and contract. This will eventually damage the phone permanently. Even if your phone is waterproof or water-resistant, moist air will seep into the phone and wreak havoc on your phone. We recommend keeping your phone outside as you step into the sauna.
Q. Can You Bring a Waterproof Phone to the Steam Room or Sauna?
A. No, you can’t bring the waterproof phone to the steam room or sauna. Phones are susceptible to heat and steam. Overheating will destroy your phone. Steam will easily seep into your phone and slowly damage the device from the inside.
Conclusion
If you have operated smartphones inside the sauna before without damaging the phone, you’d probably want to keep using the phone every time you visit the sauna. That is a bad idea. Saunas are bad for your phone and we have already discussed the reasons in this article. Prolonged and multiple exposures to heat and humidity will have a compounding effect on your phone. It will wear away waterproof adhesives, melt micro solder joints in the internal circuits boards. It will reduce your phone’s performance and damage it permanently. The bottom line is, saunas are bad for your phone.
(Feature image by The Average Tech Guy on Unsplash)
